I have been sober in a 12 step recovery group for 11 + years. Before getting into recovery I could not stop drinking. I made countless attempts and promises to myself that I would be able to stop or control my drinking. I always ended up drinking. . I wasn't a low bottom drunk but I couldn't stop and my life sucked. When I got sober I was willing to believe that there was some "higher power" who was in charge I didn't think god had "struck me sober" but saw my life improving and didnt want to think about it too much. my outlook on life had changed and by attending meetings and talking to sober people I started to live a happy life. I know 12 step groups are seen as culty but I never found that. I was waiting for that and haven't ever found that. Bottom line is that recovery saved my ass. I sort of considered myself to be a spiritual agnostic. I mediated(and still do) and went to a few yoga classes a week. I bought into the idea that there is some sort of higher power and I wasn't it. I left it at that. I'm an atheist now and really can't buy the god stuff at all. But as I stated- I really love sobriety. Any sober atheists out there? I hope so. Thanks.

What you get from the rooms that keep you sober. Your post says you knew what you wanted and you got it. Good on you for that. You're not going for the woo or the higher power, you're going for you.

You're #1 in this. I'm glad that you followed this path and have reaped the rewards that come from it.

Though I don't know your location, the cult thing tends to happen more in rural areas. It's the case in my city. Even then, treating it as a program rather than a hangout place, things should go well. Even as alcohol ruled your life, don't let the program rule your life in its entirety. You are more than your addiction. You are a person wanting to experience life to the fullest, untampered with the effects that alcohol brings.

I hope this works for you for the rest of your life. And if ever something happens and you feel a slipup happens, use the program as selfishly as you have to to survive, because active alcoholism is a selfish bastard on its own.

Take care, and I'm glad you've reached out on this forum. Being an atheist does not make one immune to things like this; it's simply a human thing. That piece of information wracked my brains out a few years ago.

(06-06-2013 08:28 PM)cheapthrillseaker Wrote: Like Anj said, if it works, stick with it.

What you get from the rooms that keep you sober. Your post says you knew what you wanted and you got it. Good on you for that. You're not going for the woo or the higher power, you're going for you.

You're #1 in this. I'm glad that you followed this path and have reaped the rewards that come from it.

Though I don't know your location, the cult thing tends to happen more in rural areas. It's the case in my city. Even then, treating it as a program rather than a hangout place, things should go well. Even as alcohol ruled your life, don't let the program rule your life in its entirety. You are more than your addiction. You are a person wanting to experience life to the fullest, untampered with the effects that alcohol brings.

I hope this works for you for the rest of your life. And if ever something happens and you feel a slipup happens, use the program as selfishly as you have to to survive, because active alcoholism is a selfish bastard on its own.

Take care, and I'm glad you've reached out on this forum. Being an atheist does not make one immune to things like this; it's simply a human thing. That piece of information wracked my brains out a few years ago.

CTS

I am a recovering alcoholic/addict and belong to A.A
I choose to believe in a higher spiritual power.
Secular atheists look to the group power.
To each his own.

My name's Chas, I have been sober for more than 20 years. I got sober in AA.

I am a lifelong atheist. I considered the group as a higher power. The very religious in AA made me cringe, but I found meetings that were more humanist.

What probably helped save my sorry ass more than anything was finding good people in AA. I suspect the actual power of 12-step programs is human interaction, peer pressure, and hope. Isolation can kill.

Welcome to the forum.

Skepticism is not a position; it is an approach to claims.
Science is not a subject, but a method.

I'm a total newbie, but I've been sober for almost 3 weeks now. I danced around the idea of AA but feel uncomfortable with its seemingly religious leaning. I was hoping/ am hoping to find a secular supportive community and I hope I can find that here.

As much fun as I make of my situation, I would like to stop, or at least cut back significantly. My wife would definitely like it. I'm a fairly good natured drunk and my kids are very young so they're not affected yet, I'd like to keep it that way.

I don't like talking about it, but I gotta at some point I guess.

Thanks.

*sits down*

But now I have come to believe that the whole world is an enigma, a harmless enigma that is made terrible by our own mad attempt to interpret it as though it had an underlying truth.

(23-08-2013 11:35 AM)MargotTenenbaum Wrote: I'm a total newbie, but I've been sober for almost 3 weeks now. I danced around the idea of AA but feel uncomfortable with its seemingly religious leaning. I was hoping/ am hoping to find a secular supportive community and I hope I can find that here.

Hi, my name is Chas, and I'm an alcoholic.

I've been sober more than 20 years and an atheist all of my life.

I got and stayed sober in AA. It can be done without the woo, without the overt spirituality or religion.

The key is to find like-minded people, a good group. You are welcome to PM me.

Hang in there, and just don't fucking drink.

Skepticism is not a position; it is an approach to claims.
Science is not a subject, but a method.

As much fun as I make of my situation, I would like to stop, or at least cut back significantly. My wife would definitely like it. I'm a fairly good natured drunk and my kids are very young so they're not affected yet, I'd like to keep it that way.

I don't like talking about it, but I gotta at some point I guess.

Thanks.

*sits down*

You are welcome to PM me. Been a sober atheist for many a year.

Skepticism is not a position; it is an approach to claims.
Science is not a subject, but a method.